The leading cause of home clothes dryer and washer fires is failure to clean them.
• Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional. • Do not use the dryer without a lint filter. • Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum. • Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time. • Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often if you notice that it is taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you. • Keep dryers in good working order. Gas dryers should be inspected by a professional to make sure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks. • Turn the dryer off if you leave home or when you go to bed.
